Becoming an Early Morning Runner

March 1, 2012

Still tired. Thought you should know.

A long time ago, when I was just a newbie, I was a regular morning runner. I would set my alarm for 4:30am, hop right out of bed, and head out to get my miles in. In the years since then, that habit died hard, and now I have to set 4 alarms and will eventually get out of bed after snoozes galore. I have been doing morning runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I’m not working and have class, but at more like 8am, after wasting a few hours. I really want to, though, become an early morning runner. I’m talking up at 5, on the streets by 5:30 or 6 at the latest. Get the run in when you might normally be sleeping and be able to go on with the rest of your day.

Early morning running would be so beneficial to my schedule. I just need the kick in the pants wake up with the first alarm and just do it

If you had asked me a week ago if I though I could do any early morning runs this week, I would have said no. But as of this morning, I’m three for three!

How did I do it? Become so stressed out that I keep waking up really early and can’t go back to sleep. Try it! It works!

But anyway, it’s been years since I hit the road before 6am, and I’ve done it three times this week, and am pretty much shocked. Tuesday morning, I was wide awake at 5am. I definitely debated just lying there for the next two hours, without sleeping, but I had so much on my mind that I knew running would allow my brain to take a little break. I was out the door by 5:45 and did a solid 7.5 mile run, including my favorite extended bridle path loop. The park was busy but not full, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. I guess you have to be a certain type of person to be running before 6am. My legs felt pretty beat, and I kept it slow, but it was pretty great to start a run when it was dark and watch the sun rise. The rest of that day was slightly insane, and it felt so good to know that I had already gotten my run in when I would have been asleep. Score!

And this morning…I did it again! I texted Kelly last night to see if she wanted to join me today. I knew she is an early morning runner, and she lives close to me, and thought that having a running buddy and a running date would make me more motivated to get out the door, so as not to leave her hanging. We had a plan to meet at Engineers’ Gate at 6:15, which I made it to by around 6:18. Damn trucks for making it impossible to cross the street, making me late! But, once again I was awake bright and early from stress, and it was no problem getting out the door. Kelly was waiting for me, and we hit the bridle path for two loops that went by in a heartbeat. She and I have a lot in common: we both are in school full time (and the same program at different schools), and we work part time, so we get the slightly psychotic schedules we somehow manage. My legs felt great, though, this morning, and having a running friend made those miles feel like nothing. I skipped out after those two loops because I didn’t want to get too high in mileage, and ended with about 6.3 miles in my legs. I know we’ll do this again in the very near future, though, because she’s out there almost every day, and having a standing running date might help me keep this momentum going, especially once I start sleeping normally again.

And now…I’m back at school. Wearing yoga pants for the day. Overwhelmed, as usual. And I will NOT check my work email today! I will not! No! *goes and checks work email.*

I am not an evening runner at all! Every once in a while I try to be, but I fail dramatically. I actually wish I was an evening runner, because so many groups meet in the evening, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen for me. Happy birthday!!!

Yayyy morning running! Loved running with you and hope we can do it soooon 🙂 And, yoga pants FTW. One benefit to being a student again. I don’t think I’ve worn real pants all week. Now stop checking that work email!